• FALL WORKSHOPS: Our Fall Workshops are designed with your child in mind- specific workshops for specific grade levels. In smaller groups of same-aged peers, we'll dive in to the elements that make up a great performance at every age. Expect skill building, lots of fun, and an introduction to The Little Mermaid Jr. music and choreography, especially helpful for when 4th-8th grade auditions at the end of September.
  Each Fall Workshop consists of four sessions in August and September on Saturday mornings. If your child is unsure about committing to the entire production just yet, the Workshop is a great way to get a taste of what is in store. 

• MASTERCLASS: In addition, we have an exciting one-session masterclass with casting director, Dan LoBuono-Wahl, a can't-miss all about the art of auditioning. This exciting opportunity is exclusively for our 4th-8th Grade students.

• CAST/CREW REGISTRATION: If your child would like to spend this school year putting their musical theatre skills into practice, be sure to register them to be in the cast or crew of The Little Mermaid Jr.  If needed, payment plans are available via email at lsstageworksllc@gmail.com 

Registered 4th-8th Grade Cast members will each prepare to audition! This day is extremely exciting; we're about to have all of our Advanced Cast Members slated in their roles for the production! That said, it is complex and can feel a little nerve-wracking if you are auditioning. Don't forget- the most exciting performances to watch are those where the performers are HAVING FUN! So: prepare and get excited! Here's what you can expect on Audition Day.

• Upon arrival, students will have a quick headshot taken and Ms. Cheryl, along with volunteers, will assist in taking each cast member's measurements to expedite costume fittings later on. 

• Each cast member will have their own time to perform part of one of several musical theatre songs alone in front of the cast and casting panel.  (Choose a song you can sing well- it should be in your range, and you should show that you understand the song by using your whole body and performance time to tell the story it contains.)

• After that, we'll review the choreography taught in the Fall Workshop and cast members will demonstrate their most expressive choreography execution in small groups. (Be precise, confident, and have fun!)

• The casting panel will then ask students to read from the script, looking for ability to take direction, willingness to make a clear choice, and audibility.  (Make your audition memorable and loud enough to be heard. For example: It's OK to try playing Mrs. Hannigan as a reserved, still person - even if it's not what the director wants - just make sure we can hear your lines. Then, when we ask to see the scene again and this time, play her like the Energizer Bunny, we should see a very different performance from you.)

• Near the end of auditions, the casting panel has a pretty good idea of how the cast will look. Some roles will already be settled, and others might be a little up in the air still. This is what the Callbacks period is about. Expect more scenes, and maybe to switch between the different roles all within the same scene. (If you are not asked to read in this portion of the audition process, remember that your audition might have clearly demonstrated your unique performance abilities and you might have already been cast in a role, which is why the panel does not need to see anything more from you.)

• You can expect to receive a cast list via email within 24-48 hours of auditions ending. 

Want to know how to prepare? Read all about audition preparation on our website in the next few weeks!

Sing. Dance. Act. Now do it all at the same time! Oh look, here's the next song! Repeat. We blocked this scene last rehearsal. Are you off book? Amazing! That song sounded the best it's ever sounded. This part of the choreography needs review. You're right- you'll need to exit on the other side of the stage. Can we work that scene so it makes the next scene make sense? Let's run it from the top! Can you believe it's Opening Night? It seems like we just auditioned!

October through April seems like a long time to rehearse, and yet, with four hours most weeks for rehearsal, we'll need every rehearsal we have scheduled to produce a high quality production. If you were in Lion King Jr. (or saw it!) you'll know that every detail matters and it requires dedication from all cast, crew, and family members to bring it all together. The rehearsal period is cumulative; one rehearsal builds on the last and progress depends on the preparation and presence of every member of the group. Here's what you can expect during rehearsals:

• Rehearsals will be held largely in the cafeteria on most Saturdays from October through April. The rehearsal calendar can be accessed at any time on our website. Advanced Cast and Technical Crew members (4th-8th Grade) are expected to attend every rehearsal, unless told otherwise. Preparatory Cast members (PK4-3rd Grade) will be expected to attend around 25% of these rehearsals. (Exact dates for Preparatory Rehearsals are to be determined, but the list of all rehearsal dates should be used as a placeholder until those specifics are finalized. )

• Rehearsals will run from 8am-12pm. Crew members should arrive by 7:45am. We'll take a quick break for a snack, so plan to pack one- and a water bottle! Preparatory Cast Members might be scheduled for only a portion of this time on their rehearsal dates. Keep an eye out for those details.

• Rehearsals will consist of learning to sing the music in the show, learning choreography to that music, and running scenes from the production. No performer will be in every song or scene and all performers are expected to watch silently, especially since 4th-8th Cast Members will all understudy another role (from the beginning of the rehearsal period) and will be expected to jump in whenever called. 

• Rehearsals will be run by Ms. Monica, Mr. Greg, and Ms. Mackenzie and supported by volunteers. If you are fingerprint-cleared through the Diocese and ready to jump feet-first into the fun, we'd welcome your support. We'll provide an opportunity to sign up closer to these dates.

• Consistent attendance is critical. When you register, you'll be asked to provide the dates and times of any conflicts with the rehearsal schedule. Only specifically dated conflicts on this list will be considered excused; the rest will be at the discretion of LS Stage Works. Keep this in mind before committing to sports teams or other extracurriculars that will likely fall on Saturday mornings. Any cast member with two unexcused absences will be considered for dismissal from the production. 

Imagine practicing your free throw. Day after day, one shot after another, over and over again. Tweak your form a little, decide you have a pair of lucky sneakers, triple dribble, then whoosh! In the basket-- every time. 

Then suddenly, it's time to put your practice to the test in a scrimmage. The pressure is turned up; your team is watching. Man, those lights are blinding. You could only find one of your lucky sneakers before rushing to practice and these other sneakers just don't feel right. The practice jersey coach gave you cuts in under your arms a bit. Why is the sound of your triple bounce so much louder than on your driveway? Is this ball even regulation size? You've practiced - you've rehearsed - but there are a lot of new elements and everything feels... I don't know, off?

This is Tech Week. We take the months of rehearsal- all the singing in your car on the way home, the random dancing at birthday parties- and throw a whole lot of other elements on top of it. Microphones, costumes, lighting, scenery,  and props we all knew were coming, but can never fully mentally prepare for. It takes time in the actual performance space to bring the performance and all the production elements together cohesively. Attendance at Tech Rehearsals is of utmost importance. Someone missing from a Tech Rehearsal is like pushing down a line of dominos with one domino mysteriously missing from the middle of the lineup.  

This is where the show finally comes together and is rehearsed in its truest-to-performance form. Tech Rehearsals build on each other- one rehearsal adds scenery, the next adds some light cues, the third is a fully costumed run with the rest of the light cues, etc. Every new element results in small changes that might alter the way a scene has been rehearsed since October. That muscle-memory can be hard to forget, so drilling it in repeated Tech Rehearsals helps solidify the changes in performers' minds.

The details:

• Keep all the dates from May 8-19th available for your performer until you are told otherwise. There will be a much more detailed schedule released in April. Most likely, your child will not be called to rehearsal on all of these dates, but despite all best efforts, we cannot provide a detailed schedule until then. 

• Tech Rehearsals are mandatory and of utmost importance. Some rehearsals will run into the evening to simulate performing at the time of the actual performances. Like October-April rehearsals, Primary Cast Members will be required to attend less rehearsal than Advanced Cast and Crew Members.

• You will be asked to provide base costume or clothing pieces for your perfomer or crew member. We will tell you in advance of Tech Week exactly what your child will need.

• We'll need all hands on deck. It takes an additional crew of volunteers to oversee costume changes and our Preparatory Cast Members.